Or even knew if he would return.My brother actually seemed confused, probably for the same reason as my parents. He looked at me sullenly for a moment, then he sighed and put his hands in his pocket. He couldn't refuse, that was the agreement I had reached with my parents when I bought it from them, that when I needed it, he would provide it to me without protest."Not a scratch," he warned, tossing my keys into the air, which I caught by sheer luck.I nodded and turned on my heel.“Amy,” he called to me before leaving his room, “be careful, okay?I wrinkled my nose and had the urge to ask him if he was sick, but I didn't have time for that.When I closed the front door behind me and found myself there, on my front porch, with no people around me, the cold outside making me shiver and my stomach clench, I stood still.I slowly brought my left arm up to my mouth, with the damn bracelet on. I closed my eyes tightly, feeling a devastating rejection of my intentions, and an almost intole
"This car smells like sex," Azazziel commented under his breath.I continued to look out the passenger window, arms crossed over my chest, and ignored him, just as I had been doing for the entire trip. He hadn't looked at her since I got in the car. I didn't even turn around or say anything as he started the engine and sped off as quickly and recklessly as if we were in a street race.Just being in the same small space next to him was unbearable. A thousand feelings of loathing and rejection sprang up toward him, even more than he already felt. He didn't understand his callousness, coldness, and utter indifference to the fact that I'd just traded my own soul for him to save a life, because he wasn't able to do it of his own free will. Because he didn't care in the slightest if a human soul was lost to a demon."Should I stay away?" I asked in a whisper, just because I needed to know before I got there."No need," he replied listlessly, and I nodded.The silence lasted until I told him
My chest clenched at the grotesque memory.I didn't know exactly what Azazziel wanted to check, so I focused on the only thing that mattered to me: the girl tied to his bed, who appeared to be fast asleep. She seemed to be that some time between yesterday and today she had been untied, since she had new injuries on her face, as well as on her arms. Her mouth was slightly open and a soft sound—similar to small growls—emanated from her lips."C-Claire?" I muttered.Disappointment and anger washed over me the moment her eyes snapped open, and I saw that her pupils were yellow. Now she was not wearing the glasses.When he recognized me, a smug smile spread across his face."Ah, Amy…" he murmured in a guttural tone that dripped with desire . My stomach turned. How nice to see you again… Or should I say appetizing?He licked his lips. I had to remind myself that this wasn't really the demon's face, but Claire's, to keep from spitting on her.-What's happening? Aren't you happy to see me? —
Hearing "yesterday" , Azazziel's eyes traveled to my face in a sudden movement. I noticed the glimmer of deep anger in his gesture at my disobedience, but all I did was look away from him in response."She won't do anything to you," he assured her, returning his attention to the demon. The anger was evident even in her voice."Is she your concubine?"I opened my eyes wide. It almost gives me another chill."It's more…like my pet." Azazziel took another step and then I stepped back so that they were both much closer and I was almost up against the wall. Look, Mabrax, as much as I'd like to keep talking to you, I'm afraid you've got to get your dirty ass out of there.For a couple of seconds, there was a deathly silence in the room, until a thunderous laugh from the demon inside Claire broke it.—And there they say you don't like to joke!However, Azazziel's eyes narrowed, maintaining an austere expression.“It's not a joke, Mabrax.The glee in the other demon's smile slowly began to
- And shit! Mabrax roared, trying to claw at his arms and hit him. Get away, you son of a bitch!Azazziel muttered something in a very low tone, and in what seemed to be a strange language. Smoke still billowing from her forehead, Claire's body spasmed in response to those words. He put the rosary aside, and then I saw the little bottle of holy water in his hand.Mabrax's eyes widened and he shook his head, trying even harder to fight. However, he seemed to be so exhausted, he didn't put up enough of a fight when Azazziel shoved the bottle into his mouth. Quite a bit of the clear liquid leaked from the corners, and I could hear the gargling at his resistance to swallowing the contents.Even so, when Azazziel took the bottle from him, there was hardly any of the water in it anymore. The same white smoke that caused the rosary also sprang from inside her mouth now.At that moment, Claire—the demon—began to cough violently.I was alarmed when, with each contraction of his body, he began
"Do not mess!" a voice protested in my mind . Get out of there now while you can! .The idea seemed reasonable. I could go away and let Azazziel deal with the matter alone. Still, I had given him my soul in exchange for this, it was only fair that he take care of Mabrax.I almost made it to the front door, but angry growls and angry words stopped me. She was pretty sure they were coming from the backyard. I was left standing there, a few inches from the exit, debating whether or not to get out. He could hear the contest, sharp, precise blows, and he had no idea who was giving it or who was receiving it.I closed my eyes, feeling my heartbeat rumble strongly. Perplexity, fear and uncertainty gripped me, as well as a terrible feeling of being a chicken. Going away and leaving Azazziel, since I had called him only to get rid of the demon, seemed to me an act of cowardice—sensible, but cowardly. Even if I had paid a heavy price for it, deep down I knew that no one had put a gun to my head
And then, out of breath, right on the third and last level of the building, I saw them.A couple of meters separated them, as if they had taken a break from the fight. They were breathing hard and tense positions, as if ready to resume it in the next second.The first thing that caught my attention were the eyes of the demons, which glowed in the darkness of the place. Something clicked in my mind when I saw that Azazziel's shirt had disappeared from his chest, and I assumed that was the ripping sound I heard earlier. My impression increased when I studied both of them, with bare chests and huge wings spread, who were somehow very similar but, at the same time, totally different. Mabrax's wings, though black as well, were not like Azazziel's. Theirs were smooth and membranous, very similar to those of bats.What was left of the destroyed roof let in a little of the light from outside. My heart skipped a beat as I narrowed my eyes and saw on Azazziel's face a gash across the forehead,
I didn't want to see that. I didn't conceive of him being able to do that, not in front of me.A punch that Mabrax managed to dodge gave him the pass to roll on the ground, walking away. Then, as if he wanted to flee, he spread his dark wings, but Azazziel managed to reach out with one hand and kicked him with such force that he was thrown away. Mabrax's stocky figure slammed into a wall, tripping her. Dazed, he shook his head and tried to get to his feet. His entire body trembled with exhaustion, his black hair sticking to his forehead and neck, drenched in blood and sweat.The yellow eyes of the demon looked at me for an instant. I saw that Azazziel started to approach him, and despite looking tired and hurt, he kept exuding that air of arrogance, as if he was convinced that he was going to win. Mabrax noticed it too, and with a last effort he rose to his feet. And then, in less than a second, it came to me.I didn't have time to react. In the next instant, I was wrapped in his h